In illegal mining, there is a high incidence of human trafficking for forced labour, including a system in which debt bondage is achieved by providing workers with advances or start-up capital. Workers in the mining sector are employed under extremely dangerous conditions, including exposure to toxic substances and severe illnesses, and that women and children tend to be more vulnerable to exploitation.
The challenges of due diligence in, for example, the gold trading process are faced at every point in the supply chain; from ensuring that gold has been extracted not only legally, but also complying with international human rights and labour standards and /or does not fuel armed conflicts, to retail buyers taking the sourcing of their gold into consideration.
While the World Gold Council Conflict-Free Standard is designed to ensure gold producers mine responsibly, it is also very important that the whole supply chain is sustainable and does not contribute to conflict. For instance, the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) – the international trade association that represents the market for gold and silver bullion – has developed Responsible Gold Guidance standards for refiners that lay out due-diligence processes that refiners need to follow, in line with the OECD Guidance on Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected areas.
What are the most promising practices to eradicate human trafficking from the supply chains within the mining industry, including gold and other minerals? How does labour exploitation in the mining industry relate to other forms of human trafficking and illicit trade? What laws specifically address human trafficking related to the mining industry and where can improvements be made to further create public policy? And how can academia assist in research around this critical industry? This webinar will focused on these questions and more in a two-hour discussion.
Experts from the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour discuss research on global trends in the realization of this fundamental human right, including an analysis of important developments in the business contribution to...Read More
Delta 8.7 is a global knowledge platform exploring what works to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour, an aim set out in Target 8.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
On any given day in 2016, the latest y...Read More
Extreme poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities result in some families sending their children to work on cocoa farms. It is reported that some children are ‘sold’ to traffickers or farm owners, paying for a determined duration of labour. Children...
Where:
Room 532, OSCE Congress Centre, Hofburg, Heldenplatz, Vienna
Tech Against Trafficking (TAT) is a coalition of technology companies – including Amazon, AT&T, BT, Microsoft, Nokia, Salesforce.org, and Vodafone – that believe technology can and must play a major role in preventing and disrupting human trafficking and empowering survivors. Launched...